According to Sports Hochi, Toshihisa Nishi's name is being mentioned as a possible candidate to join the Samurai Japan coaching staff.

After retiring in 2010, Nishi spent some time working as a part-time coach with an independent league team in the US. He is currently working as a baseball commentator. He also started the Nishi Baseball Academy and will begin a two-year program in Comprehensive Human Sciences, Health and Sports Sciences at Tsukuba University's Graduate School.

The Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium will be running a special Akihiro Yano retirement exhibit between 10/19 and 2/13. Items like Yano's uniform, baseball glove, photographs, and film will be available for viewing.

Akihiro Yano (HAN) played in the Hanshin Tigers' final Ni-gun game of the season on Saturday. Yano entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 8th inning, with the score tied at 2 and a runner on first and one out, and helped set up the go ahead run with a single to left. In the 9th inning, he got to catch his good friend, Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi, for the last time in his career. In the end, the Tigers went on to beat the Chunichi Dragons, 3-2.

After the game, the Ni-gun Tigers held a mini retirement ceremony for the 41-year-old catcher. And both Ni-gun teams tossed Yano up into the air 5 times (Yano started his career with the Dragons).

The Hanshin Tigers also decided on Saturday that they will hold a retirement ceremony for Yano after their final game of the season at Koshien Stadium (9/30 vs Yokohama Bay Stars).

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Akihiro Yano (HAN) held a meeting with the Tigers yesterday in order to inform them of his desire to retire at the end of the season. While Yano wanted another chance to play at Ichi-gun again, it seems he felt he was also becoming a burden to the team. I'm guessing that Yano's right elbow wasn't getting any better and he finally decided to hang them up.

The Tigers would like to hold a retirement ceremony for Yano, but will first need to see how things play out with their pennant chase.